Armand Debelder, who was the owner, head brewer and blender of Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen until 2019, when he retired due to severe illness, has passed away. “It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that we announce the passing of Armand. The inspirer of 3 Fonteinen and an inspiration for many, a gentle teacher to his team, Opa Geuze to the brewery kids, and as a second father to some of us,” states Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen in a release. Founded in the municipality of Beersel, Belgium in the 1880s, 3 Fonteinen began its existence as a cafe and geuzestekerij, a place where young and old lambics acquired from other breweries are blended to produce gueuze. This changed in 1953, when the establishment was purchased from the mayor of Beersel, Jean-Baptiste Denaeyer, by Gaston Debelder. Upon his retirement in 1982, the enterprise was then left to his two sons Guido and Armand. In celebration of the life of Armand Debelder, Peaks & Pints presents an in-house, three-beer flight of 3 Fonteinen beer — a flight we’re calling Craft Beer Crosscut: Flight For Armand Debelder.

Craft Beer Crosscut: Flight For Armand Debelder

EEN: 3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze Cuvee Armand and Gaston: Blend of 1-, 2-, and 3-year-old traditional lambics, all brewed at Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen, and fermented in the bottle for heavy oak tannins, fruity pop, and slight tartness, 6.2%

TWEE: 3 Fonteinen Intens Rood (Season 18/19) Blend No. 118: Made with hand-picked whole sour cherries on lambic for at least six months, in a proportion of one kilogram of fruit per liter of lambic, and is then blended again with more lambic to obtain a minimum intensity of 450 grams of fruit per liter, 6.6%

DRIE: 3 Fonteinen Hommage (Season 18/19) Blend No. 71: Made with hand-picked whole sour cherries and raspberries on young lambic for at least four months, this fruit lambic is then blended again with more lambic to obtain a minimum intensity of 35 percent fruit, 5.8%

OR

3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze (Season 17/18) Blend No. 84: This Oude Geuze has been blended with lambics from eight different barrels and originating from 10 different brews. This blend consists for 1/3 of 3-year-old lambics, coming from three barrels, for aromas and flavors of vibrant fresh citrus and grassy notes to a mellow, oaky, stone fruit bouquet as the lambic continues to develop with time, 7.4%

LINK: Peaks & Pints cooler inventory